072 Professor Jameson's System of Mineralogy. 353 



am not either in mineralogy, or any other subject, bigoted to a 

 particular theory : and that I will cheerfully abjure my chemical 

 heresy the moment any one will point out a safer and more cer- 

 tain guide. At present I certainly prefer a system which tells 

 me what a thing is, to one which informs me what it looks like. 

 I prefer a system which admits pure " white lead spar" to be 

 an ore of lead, to one which, in direct opposition to truth and 

 common sense, calls it an earth ! Anxious for improvement, I 

 have inquired amongst the best mineralogists of my acquaintance, 

 by what anti-alcheinv the numerous metals in the Professor's 

 second volume have been transmuted into earths. Some have 

 stared ; others have smiled and shook their heads ; but I have 

 not yet been fortunate enough to meet with one who could eX'- 

 plain. Finally, 1 prefer an arrangement, let its basis be what 

 it may, whose consistency with natural affinity will enable me to 

 judge with stmie degree of correctness where I am to look for a 

 mineral, to a chaos which compels me to refer eternally to the 

 index, or to dive at random amongst the leaves for a quarter of 

 an hour, consoling myself with singing 



" Whither, my love, ahi whither art thou gone? " 



I am told that I " cannot perceive the high advantage of be- 

 ing able at once to place a mineral either in the earthy or me- 

 tallic class, from the simple and obvious distinction of specific 

 gravity." What an unfortunate observation ! Has G. M. ever 

 seen the book he is vindicating ? Has it escaped his notice, 

 that some of the Professor's new earthy minerals are upwards of 

 6*9, and his metallic ones as low as 4'0 ? 



We are also told, that by adopting the method in discussion, 

 we should be enabled " to recognise a mineral at first sight, and 

 give it its proper place in the system." Here is at once the point 

 at issue : — and the above proposition I unequivocally deny. It 

 would enable us to form groups of heavy minerals, white ones, 

 black ones, and shining ones; — in short, to form such an ar- 

 rangement as would be adopted by a school-boy ; except that 

 the school-boy's system, not being spun into such fine distinc- 

 tioris, would enjoy the advantage of having the limits of its divi- 

 sions better defined. — G. M. does not ajjpear to be aware of the 

 source of that " precision which has conferred such superiority 

 on botany and zoology." — No such superiority could be boasted 

 while the Jamesonian principle of externals guided the botanist, 

 and produced an arrangement divided into trees, shrubs, under- 

 shrubs, and herbs; the pre-eminence arose from the rejection of 

 externals, for the study of organization and natural affinities; a 

 plan which did not give rise to the facility pointed out by G. M. 



Vol. r)5. No. 265. May 1820. G g but 



